Cal coordinators double up on pay

Posted by John Taylor on May 26, 2013, 9:58 AM EDT

In yet another sign of the high cost of big-time college football, two new Cal assistants will make double the amount pulled in by their predecessors — while also raising the financial bar for other coaches in the conference as well.

The school released documents Friday related to the contracts signed by Tony Franklin and Andy Buh, the offensive and defensive coordinators, respectively, hired by new Golden Bears head coach Sonny Dykes. Franklin will make $653,000 in 2013, while Buh will “settle” for a little less at $608,000.

To put their pay in perspective, the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the Pac-12 in 2012 — outside of USC and Stanford, which are not compelled to reveal salary information — made $480,000 (Colorado’s Eric Bienemy). Because of his departure from the program, it’s known that former USC defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin was paid a little over $1.5 million in 2012; the next-highest-paid DC in that conference was Washington’s Justin Wilcox ($750,000) followed by Oregon’s Nick Aliotti ($552,500).

If Franklin is fired without cause after his first season, he would be due $680,000. That number drops to $420,000 the following year. The Contra Costa Times writes that “Buh, if fired without cause, would receive 100 percent of his base and talent fee for the remainder of his contract, making it essentially a guaranteed contract.”

Franklin could buy his way out of his contract after the first year with a $50,000 payment, a figure that drops to $25,000 a year later. Buh’s buyout is $75,000 after Year One, then drops by $25,000 the last two years of his contract.